Christ on the Cross by Francesco Pesellino

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Christ on the Cross, Adored by Saint Jerome and Saint Francis by Francesco Pesellino. Tempera on panel (1445 - 1450).

Francesco Pesellino, was an Italian Renaissance painter active in Florence. His father was the painter Stefano di Francesco, and his maternal grandfather was the painter Giuliano Pesello, from whose name the diminutive nickname "Pesellino" arose. After the death of his father in 1427, the young Pesellino went to live with his grandfather whose pupil he became. Pesellino remained in his grandfather's studio until the latter's death, when he began to form working partnerships with other artists. He married in 1442, and probably joined the Florentine painters' guild in 1447. In the following years he made for reputation with small, highly-finished works for domestic interiors, including religious panels for private devotional use and secular subjects for pieces of furniture.

Pesellino died of plague in Florence in 1457 at the age of 35. According to many art historians, his style "anticipated the developments of later Florentine painters.

This scene depicting the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ, two saints are present, Jerome, and Francis of Assisi. Both of them kneel down contemplating the death of our Lord, in a compasionate gesture. Unlike some other representations, this scene is bloody, with a pair of bones and a skull laying down on the ground in front of the cross. The nocturnal representation is filled with drama regarding the death of Jesus.

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This image is a public domain image, which means either that copyright has expired in the image or the copyright holder has waived their copyright. Franciscan Gallery charges for the access to high resolution copy of the image. Manually restoration was necessary in order to improve quality, without covering the original image.